Optical operation control device



Sept. 8, 1953 P. H. ALLEN EI'AL 2,651,463

Q OPTICAL OPERATION CONTROL DEVICE Filed Jan. 11, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet l nlu hmm FIE L Sept. 8, 1953 P. H. ALLEN ETAL OPTICAL OPERATION CONTROL DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 11, 1946 U H U N Mn INVENTORS QM 2 4%;

Sept. 8, 1953 P. H. ALLEN ETAL OPTICAL OPERATION CONTROL DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 11, 1946 INVENTORS w YPM 754% Sept. 8, 1953 P. H. ALLEN ETTAL 2,651,463

OPTICAL OPERATION CONTROL DEVICE Filed Jan. 11, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR5 Patented Sept. 8, 1953 OPTICAL OPERATION CONTROL DEVICE Philip H. Allen, Orinda, Calif., and Benjamin J. Chromy, Washington, D. 0.

Application January 11, 1946, Serial No. 640,462

12 Claims.

This invention relates to registers and similar devices such as calculating machines and is concerned more particularly with the provision of improved control means therefor.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved registering apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a registering machine having optical-electrical control means incorporated therein for exercising control over various machine operations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine or" the above character in which a single optical-electrical control means is associated with a plurality of the manually operable controls of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character incorporating a shiftable carriage which exercises a control over the optical-electrical control means of the machine.

Another object of the invention i to provide a calculating machine having improved means for performing division operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved overdraft control means in a machine of the class described.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a calculating machine embodying the instant invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan View of the opticalelectrical control system of the machine.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the line 33 of Figure 2 illustrating the arrangement of the light responsive devices of the optical-electrical control means and also illustrating diagrammatically the electrical connections of these devices to solenoids which perform the control exercised thereby.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevational view of a portion of the optical-electrical control means taken as indicated by the line 44 in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged view of a portion of Figure 4 illustrating certain details of construction.

Figure 6 is an enlarged elevational view of a portion of Figure 5 taken as indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a front sectional elevation of a portion of the optical-electrical control means taken as indicated by the line 1-1 in Figure 2.

Figure 8 is an elevational view of a portion of the optical control system taken as indicated by the line 8-8 in Figure 2.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of a part of the optical control means taken as indicated by the line 99 in Figure 2.

Figure 10 is a sectional view illustrating the optical overdraft control employed in performing division operations.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the line ||--H in Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating one method of operating certain of the machine controls.

Figure 13 is a sectional view illustrating a method of operating the main clutch and circuit controls of the machine.

Generally the instant invention contemplates the use of light rays and light responsive devices for exercising the various control functions of the machine such as engagement of the main clutch, the shift clutches, the resetting clutches and exercising the overdraft control in performing division. The invention may be applied to conventional forms of calculating machines such as are now on the market under the trade names of Marchant, Monroe, and Friden, and is illustrated in connection with a calculator of the character disclosed in the patent to Carl M. Friden No. 2,229,889 dated January 28, 1941, and the co-pending applications of Carl M. Friden. Serial No. 205,546, filed May 2, 1938, now Patent No. 2,371,752, and Carl M. Friden and Anthony B. Machado Serial No. 348,966, filed July 31, 1940, now Patent No. 2,399,917.

Referring to Figure 1 the calculator includes a body 25 in which the actuating, selecting and control mechanisms are mounted, and carriage 26 which is mounted for endwise shifting movement transversely of the body 25 and which carries numeral wheels 2'! and 28 of the accumulator and revolution counter respectively. Carriage 26 can be shifted by power in either direction by manipulation of respective shift keys 29 and 30 through mechanism of conventional character.

Values are entered into the calculator by depression of numeral keys 32 of the usual value entering or multiplicand keyboard in various ordinal rows thereof, keys 32 being releasable individually by the depression of ordinal clear keys 32a or collectively by depression of clear key 33. Values introduced into the calculator may be registered additively or subtractively on numeral wheels 21 by depression of plus key 34 or minus key 35, respectively. If desired add key 36 may be depressed to cause clearing of the keyboard in the usual manner after single registrations in the accumulator.

Values registered in numeral wheels 2'! and 28 can be removed through resetting mechanism operated by manipulation of respective manually operable resetting handles 3? and 38 or by power through depression of return and clear key 39.

The calculator is adapted to perform automatic plural order division by means of conventional division mechanism including the starting control key 4| of the character disclosed in the patent to Carl M. Friden, 2,327,981 issued August 31, 1943. Automatic predetermined multiplication can also be performed by depression of the multiplier selection keys 42 to set up the desired multiplier figure as indicated on dials 4.3, and by. depression of one of the multiplication keys 44., 45 or 46, to start the multiplying operation. Key M is a correction key for correcting the multiplier figure and zeroizing the indicating dials 4.3.

In exercising the optical-electrical control of the various machine. functions there is provided a source of a plurality of light rays which provide a ray for each machine. function to be controlled and whose. path passesby the various control keys or elements controlled thereby so. that the path of a light ray can be varied upon depression of control keys to cause impingement thereof on a light responsive device. The. light responsive device is electrically connected to a solenoid which. operates a mechanical control element of the calculator which must be movedto effect the desired machine function.

Referring to Figures 2 and 4 there is illustrated; a lower body portion 25a in the form of an auxiliary light-proof casing which is disposed below the conventional parts of the calculator, but in alignment with the general plane of the calculator. Within thebody portion 25a there is provided an auxiliary housing having a chamber 52 containing a source of light53 such as a neonor fluorescent tube and, a second chamber 5 3; havingv a plurality of light responsive devices 55 which may be of any desired type. such as a re-, sistance type selenium cell, a conduction type photo tube, an electron emissive cathode tube, or av photovoltaic cell. The housing 5i is provided with a series of vertically aligned pairs of apertures 56 through 60 respectively so that five. collimated light rays are producedwhichare normally projected along a path indicated by the dot and dash lines M in Figure 2, and optical means are associated with the light rays to pro-, vide respective paths thereof disposed beneath the various operation control keys. of, the ma-L chine for the desired machine functions. This optical system includes a series. of reflecting ele-. ments or mirrors 62-. through 67, respectively. In the present embodiment all of these mirrors are disposed at an angle of 45? with respect to an impinging light rayso that the light, ray is reflected at an angle of 90 to its former path in eachinstance, thearrangement of the mirrors being such that the light rays following the mirror system 62' through GI Will impinge. upon an opaque wall portion of the housing 5!. as in.- dicated in Figure 2 out of alignment with a. series of apertures 63 through 12. respectively (Figure 3) which lead to associated light sensitive devices 55 as previously described.

In order. to exercise a controlling function with respect to the light rays each of thecontrol keys is extended to have its lower end disposed above a flexible bellows i5 (Figures. 4 and 5) enclosing an aperture "J? in the body portion 25a and having the upper end of an auxiliary key stem 39a. for example, in abutting relation with the top surface of the bellows. The auxiliary key 39a is guided in the upper wall of the body portion 25a and in a suitable guide 18 in the bottom wall of this housing. A spring 19 serves to maintain the auxiliary stem 39a in elevated position.

While this auxiliary key stem construction has been described in connection with the resetting key 39. it will be understood that, similar auxiliary keys are. provided in connection with the control keys 29, 30, 34, 35, 4|, 44, 45, 46 and 4'! of the calculating machine and these auxiliary key stems or auxiliary control keys have been designated by like numerals with the addition of the sufiix a. The. auxiliary key 39a is provided with a light my controlling optical system including a pair of parallel reflecting elements or mirrors 8| and 82 which are disposed immediately above the uppermost light ray emerging from the apertures 56. These mirrors 8| and 82 are at an angle of 45 with respect to the light ray so that when moved into the path of the light ray the effect is to laterally displace the associated light. ray so that it impinges upon the reflecting mirror system 62 through 67' at a different position and will pass through the corresponding aperture 68 to impinge upon the corresponding light sensitive device 55. This condition is indicated by the line of clashesv in Figure 2.

From the above description it will be seen that whenever the control key 39 for example is depressed the mirrors 8I-El2 associated with the uppermost light ray employed for controlling the main clutch will cause a variation or displacement of the path of the light ray so that it x will be placed in operative relation with respect to the uppermost light sensitive device 55. The auxiliary key 39av is provided with a second set of mirrors 8384, which are disposed immediately above the light ray emerging from the apertures 59 and associated with the resetting control in ama-nner later described, this light ray entering the aperture H. (Figure 3) when deflected by the mirrors 83 84. Thekey 39a is also provided with a third set of mirrors 85-85a' associated with the light ray emerging from. the apertures 51 associated with the shift mechanism as later described.

In the. case of the main clutch control, that is the light ray provided. by the uppermost apertures 56-, each of the control keys is provided with mirrors corresponding to the pair of mirrors 8l82 for, causing. engagement of the main clutch upon depression of any one. of these keys. For this purpose the uppermost light sensitive device 55 is connected through an amplifier 86 (Figure 3) to a solenoid 81 so that the solenoid 81 will be energized. when any of the control keys are depressed. The solenoid 81 (Figure 13-) has its armature 88 connectedto a lever 89. to cause pivoting movement of the lever 89 when the-solenoid is energized; The lever 89. is pivotally connected to a lever 90;forminga part of the conventional clutch control of the Friden type calculator as disclosed in the above Patent 2229389 and also forming a. control for the circuit making contacts 91 of the electric drive motor. The clutch controlling mirrors of the-remaining. control keys are numbered similarly to the mirrors 8i82 but with the suflixes a, b, c, d, e, etc.

The mirrors B3 on the auxiliary resetting key 39a serve-to deflect the fourth light ray emerging from-the apertures 59*when-in operative position and cause this ray to impinge through apertures H upon the fourth from the top light sensitive device 55 which is electrically connected through amplifier 92 to the solenoid 93. The solenoid 93 is operatively connected to shift the resetting clutch control rod of the Friden calculator as illustrated in Figure 12. The armature of the solenoid 93 is connected to a pivoted lever 96 having a forked upper end embracing the conventional resetting clutch shift rod 91 of the Friden calculator and engaging a collar 98 thereon. The deflecting mirrors 85 at the same time serve to deflect the light ray from the apertures 51 to cause it to pass through the apertures 69 and effect operation of the left shift mechanism so that the carriage will be returned to its left end position as a preliminary to the resetting operation.

Thus whenever the resetting control key 39 is operated both the main clutch, the resetting clutch and the left shift clutch are engaged to effeet the resetting operation with respect to the accumulator and revolution counter as disclosed in the above named Friden Patent 2,399,917. By virtue of the fact that the resetting control light ray traverses a path extending at various points along the operative controls of the calculator it is apparent that at any other selected point along this path or along another desired path a second resetting control key could be installed to function in the same manner as the key 39 and the auxiliary key 39a.

The auxiliary right and left shift keys 29a and 30a have respective sets of mirrors IDI and I03 associated respectively with the light rays from the apertures 58 and 51, respectively, so that these light rays upon depression of either shift key will be offset in the manner previously described to cause the light rays to enter-either of the apertures 10 and 69 and operate the light sensitive devices 55 in the second and third positions from the top. These light sensitive devices are connected to respective amplifiers I05 and I06 with respective solenoids I01 and I08 which are associated with the respective left and right shift control rods of the Friden calculator in the manner described in connection with the shift clutch control rod 91 illustrated in Figure 12. Thus upon depression of either shift key the associated shift clutch will be engaged as well as the main clutch to effect shifting of the carriage in the desired direction. It is obvious that additional shift keys could be employed at other portions of the paths of the light means associated with the shift control mechanism and that automatic shifting in the course of division or multiplying operations may be performed by providing appropriate light ray control mirrors such as those indicated at II8I I9 in Figure 9.

Also, the respective auxiliary shift keys 29a and 3011 are provided with respective shutters III) to block off, respectively, the control light ray for the other shift key, and thereby provide an interlock without the use of mechanical interconnection.

In order to perform automatic division operations with an optical electrical control a special main clutch control is provided as well as 2. normally disabled overdraft control as will now be described.

In order to prevent effective operation of the division key when the register carriage 26 is in its lowest ordinal position where only one significant quotient figure could be registered the mirror 62 is provided with a half-silvered portion 62a (Figure 4) in alignment with the clutch control light ray'from the apertures 56 so that a portion of this ray is reflected to follow the normal path along the mirrors 63 through 61 while the second portion is passed through the half-silvered mirror 62a and this second portion traverses a path leading past the control mirrors 8Ie-82e of the auxiliary division key Mo to a 45 mirror III (Figures 2 and 4). The ray reflected from the mirror III is offset upwardly by a pair of 45 parallel mirrors II2-I I3 (Figure 7) so that the light ray. passes through an aperture II 4 in a supporting bracket for the mirror 64 andv impinges upon the uppermost portion of the mirrors 65,66 and 61 in a plane located above the housing 5|. An additional deflecting mirror H6 is provided (Figure 4) to direct the ray downwardly through an aperture II! to impinge upon the uppermost main clutch control light sensitive device 55. Associated with this division clutch control light ray is a shutter II8 (Figure 4) which is depressed to its dotted line positionby the register carriage 26 in any convenient manner when the carriage is in its leftmost position so that depression of the division key 4| is inoperative with the carriage in this position to initiate a division operation as the main clutch can not be engaged.

To provide an optical-electrical overdraft control the lowermost light ray from the aperture 60 (Figure 4) passes immediately beneath a single reflecting mirror I2I carried by the auxiliary division key Ma and when the divisionkey is not depressed the light ray is inactive. When the division key is depressed the mirror I2I serves to reflect the light ray to an obliquely disposed mirror I22 (Figures 2 and 10, which is so disposed as to project the light ray toward the aligned numeral wheel 21 of the accumulator and specifically toward the drive gear I23 of the numeral wheel through an aperture I24 in the control gate I26 for the plus-minus gears I21 which serve to drive the numeral wheel through the gear I 23 in a conventional manner. Numeral wheel 21 is provided with a mirror disposed on the lower face of gear I23 and this mirror is so related to the numeral wheel as to reflect the light means from the mirror I22 when the numeral wheel 21 in the desired ordinal controlling position for an overdraft in division operation passes from 0 to 9. When the mirror I28 is in operative position the light ray is reflected downwardly again through the aperture I24 to a second obliquely disposed mirror I29 which is so related to the mirror I28 and the mirror 61 as to direct the light means into the lowermost aperture I2 (Figure 3) so that the light sensitive device 55 associated with the division control will be energized and through the amplifier I 3| operate solenoid I32. The solenoid I32 is operatively connected by means similar to the mechanism shown in Figure 12 to the program control shaft of the division control mechanism which corresponds to the shaft 222 shown in the Patent 2,327,981 so that the program control shaft will be shifted axially to initiate correction of the overdraft, shifting of the carriage, and resetting of the machine for subtraction in the next adjacent order. I

The amplifiers 86, 92, I05, I06 and I3I may be of any conventional type employing triode or multi-grid tubes and these amplifiers may be energized from the volt A. C. or D. C. lighting circuit. Gas type tubes, such as thyratrons, also may be used and in such case these tubes may be made light sensitive so that they may also function as the light responsive devices 55. When gas type tubes, such as thyratrons, are used 7 the plate circuits thereof and the solenoids. 8.1 93,. m1, l8 and I 3221 respectively are preferably energized from an alternating current. supply so thatthe platecircuits of these. gastubesare selfquenching.

While certain preferred embodiments havebeen shown andidescribed it is apparent that the. in vention. is capable of further variation and modification within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Weclaim:

1. Inav calculating machine having an accumulator and means for entering values therein, means. for. performing a. calculating operation, a plurality of control elements for said operation performing means, means for establishing a single. light ray, means controlled by said ray for initiating operation of said operation performing means, an optical system for directing said ray past each of said elementsand to said operation initiating means, and means under control of each of said elements for rendering said my effective with respect to operation initiating means.

2. In a calculating machine having an accumulater and means for entering values therein, means for performing a calculating operation ineluding a plurality of operation control mech anisms, a control element for each of said mechanisms, means for establishing a plurality of light each of said light-responsive; means for operating one: of said mechanisms, and means operable under control of said elements for selectively renclering said rays effective with respect to the associated light responsive means.

3'. In a calculating machine having an accumulator includin numeral mechanism and means for entering values therein, means for performing a division operation including a starting control element, and an optical system in controlling relationwi th said operation performing means, said optical system comprising a light responsive device, a light source for establishing a light ray, and a plurality of optical devices for selectively transmittin said ray from said source to said light-responsive device, said optical devices including an optical device controlled bysaid' control element and a second optical device con.- trolled by said numeral mechanism for terminating an ordinal computation, said second optical device being rendered effective by said numeral mechanism upon an overdraft. thereof.

4. In acalculating machine having an accumulatorand means for entering values. therein, means forperforming a computing operation including a plurality of operative control. mechanisms, a bank' of control keys. for said mechanisms, means for establishing a. plurality. of lightrays and directing them along said bank 015 keys, a corresponding plurality of light respon-- sive. means positioned for selective impingement. by said rays, means controlled by each of said light; responsive means for operating one. ot'said mechanismsand selectively positioned light control elements carried by said. respective. keys for controlling the,- eiiecti-ve condition of. said light. rays with respect. to the respective associated light responsive means, certain of said keys carrying a plurality'oft said control elements.

5. In a calculatingjmachinehaving anaaccumulator and means for entering values therein,

means. for performing'a computingoperaticn in-- eludin a plurality of operative control mechanisms, a. pair of parallel banks of. control keys for said operation-control mechanism, means for establishing a pluralityot light. rays. and directing them past and between said respective banks of control keys, a corresponding plurality of light responsive means positioned for selective impingement by said rays, means controlled by each of said light responsive means for operating one of said mechanisms, and selectively positioned light control elements carried by said respective keys of each bank for controlling the effective condition of said light ray with respect to the respective associated light responsive means certain of said keys. carrying a plurality of said control: elements.

6. In a. calculatingmachine having a shiftable accumulator including numeral wheels and means. for entering values therein, means for performing a division operation including an optical overdraft control system, said opticalsystem including a light responsive control device, a plurality of optical elements for selectively transmitti'ng' a light ray to said control device, certain of saidoptical elements being carried by at least some of said numeral wheels and adjustable thereby to controltransmission of said light ray, and means for establishing alight ray to cooperate with said optical elements in an ordinal control position of said shiftableaccumulator.

'7. In a calculating machine having a shiitable accumulator including numeral wheels and means for entering values therein, means. for performing a division operation including an optical overdraft control system, said optical control system. including a. plurality of optical elements carried by at least certain of said numeral Wheels, and means for establishing a light ray to cooperate with said optical elements in an ordinal control position of said: shiftable accumulator, each said optical elem-entbeing positioned on the associated numeral wheel for functioning with respect to the light ray upon an overdraft of said accumulator.

8. In a calculating machine having a body including value entering means, an accumulator in--- cluding numeral wheels mounted for shifting movement on said body, means for performing a machine operation involving shifting of said accumulator, and an optical system in controlling relation with said operation performing means including an optical device carried byone of the numeral wheels of said accumulator, and a. light ray source in said bodyfor cooperation with the optical device of said numeral wheel in a selected ordinal position of said shiftable accumulator;

9. Ina calculating machine having an accumulator and means for entering values therein, means for initiatingoperation of the machine includin a clutch, a plurality of control elements for said operation initiating means including a division control element, means for establishing a light ray and fordividing and directing respective portions: or said ray past respective ones of said elements, one of said portions being directed past said division control element, means controlled by saidv ray for rendering said operation initiating mean effective, means under control of said respective elements for rendering the respective portions of" said ray effective with respect torsaid operations initiating means, and means for selectively blocking said one portion of, said ray to. disable, the control of said division control element.

10. In a calculating machine having an accumulator including numeral mechanism and means for entering values therein, means for performing an ordinal calculating operation including a starting control element, and an optical system in controlling relation with said operating performing means, said optical system comprising a light responsive device, a light source for establishing a light ray, and a plurality of optical devices for selectively transmitting said ray from said source to said device, said optical device including an optical device controlled by said control element to render said optical system eifective and a second optical device controlled by said numeral mechanism to control termination of the ordinal computation.

11. In a calculating machine having an accumulator including numeral mechanism and means for entering values therein, means for controlling entry of a number in the numeral mechanism, means including an optical system for controlling said operation performing means, said optical system including a light responsive control device, a light source for establishin a light ray, and a plurality of optical elements for selectively transmitting said ray from said source to said control device, one of said optical elements being carried by said numeral mechanism and adjustable thereby to control transmission of said light ray pattern, and control means for rendering said optical system effective to control the machine operation.

12. In a calculating machine having an accumulator including a series of numeral wheels, and means for entering values in said numeral wheels, and means including an optical system for controlling said value entering means, said optical system including a light responsive control device, a light source for establishing a light ray, and a plurality of optical elements for selectively transmitting said ray from said source to said control device, one of said optical elements being carried by one of said numeral wheels and adjustable therewith to control transmission of said light ray.

PHILIP I-I. ALLEN.

BENJAMIN J. CHROMY.

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